Chapter 1 of A Terrible Tomboy is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of A Terrible Tomboy is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
PEGGY AT HOME 'Good sooth! I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!' 'Peggy! Peggy! where are you? Peggy!
Chapter 1 of A Terrible Tomboy is here in full — 110 sentences across 22 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/22 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
performance of moral or religious acts
From this reading “I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'”
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading “I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'”
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “PEGGY AT HOME 'Good sooth!”
where you live at a particular time
From this reading “PEGGY AT HOME 'Good sooth!”
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'”
third-person singular of “proclaim” — declare formally; declare someone to be something; of titles
From this reading “I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'”
a man who is the lover of a man or woman
From this reading “I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'”
informal terms for a (young) woman
From this reading “I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'”
English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.
Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.
In this reading “PEGGY AT HOME 'Good sooth!”
a reception held in your own home
In this reading “PEGGY AT HOME 'Good sooth!”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Peggy! where are you?
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading PEGGY AT HOME 'Good sooth!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
performance of moral or religious acts
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading PEGGY AT HOME 'Good sooth!
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
where you live at a particular time
From this reading PEGGY AT HOME 'Good sooth!
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading PEGGY AT HOME 'Good sooth!
third-person singular of “proclaim” — declare formally; declare someone to be something; of titles
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
truth or reality
From this reading PEGGY AT HOME 'Good sooth!
a man who is the lover of a man or woman
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
informal terms for a (young) woman
From this reading I know not be she wench or swain; Her face proclaims her one, her deeds the other!'
in or at the place that
From this reading Peggy! where are you?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Peggy! where are you?
Chapter 1 of A Terrible Tomboy by Angela Brazil holds 110 sentences, grouped into 22 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 1 holds 110 sentences of A Terrible Tomboy, unabridged, divided into 22 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of A Terrible Tomboy by Angela Brazil exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 110 sentences, grouped into 22 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 22 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 22 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading A Terrible Tomboy by Angela Brazil on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3373 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #38619 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #38619, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 281 minutes of reading across 675 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through A Terrible Tomboy section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 24 chapters of A Terrible Tomboy to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in A Terrible Tomboy, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
